10 Things Recruiters Should Know About Every Candidate They Interview
Interviewing candidates and gauging their fit for a culture and position is
one of the most indispensable tasks a recruiter performs. The more a recruiter
knows about a candidate, the better equipped they are to add value to the hiring
process. That's why getting to know the candidate and understand what they
are looking for, along with overall qualifications, is so critical.
But there is more about candidates you should uncover if you want to do the
best possible job of providing information (read: value) to hiring managers.
Below are ten points in key areas that all recruiters should investigate for
each candidate they interview — before they present the candidate to
the hiring manager.
1. Complete compensation details.
Understand exactly how the candidate's current compensation program is structured.
This means more than the candidate's base salary; the base salary is just part
of the overall package. Be sure that you ask about bonuses; if, how and when
they are paid out, stock options or grants that have been awarded. Compile
a complete list of benefits and how they are structured (e.g. PPO vs. HMO;
there is a difference) and know when the candidate is up for his or her next
review, because this can alter cash compensation.
2. Type of commute.
Commute is a quality-of-life issue and discussing it is important. A ten-minute
commute against traffic is very different than taking the car to a train and
having to walk five blocks to the new organization. If the commute to your
organization is worse for the candidate than it is in his or her existing job,
bring it up and see how the candidate responds. If the commute is better, use
it as a selling point. By all means, be sure that you understand the candidate's
current commute and how they feel about the new one.
3. The "what they want vs. what they have" differential.
Most candidates do not change jobs just for the sake of changing jobs. They
change jobs because there are certain things missing in their current position
that they believe can be satisfied by the position your organization is offering.
This disparity is called the "position differential" and it is the
fundamental reason a person changes jobs. Know what this position differential
is and you will be able to know if you have what the candidate is looking for.
If so, you will be able to develop an intelligent capture strategy when it
comes time to close.
4. How they work best.
Some candidates work best if left alone, while others work best as part of
a team. It is your job to know enough about the organization's philosophy and
the way the hiring manager works to see if the candidate will either mesh or
grind. Beware of recommending hiring a candidate who does not fit into the
current scheme, because, at times, style can be just as important as substance.
5. Overall strengths and weaknesses.
Be sure to get some understanding of the candidate's strong points and the
candidate's limitations. All of us have strengths and weaknesses (even John
Sullivan has weaknesses, but he won't tell me what they are). Our role is to
identify them and be able to present them to the hiring manager. Hint: Ask
what functions the candidate does not enjoy performing. We are seldom good
at things we don't like.
6. What they want in a new position. Everyone wants something. Find out what the candidate wants in a new position.
Be sure to do whatever is necessary to get this information. Feel free to
pick away during the interviewing process with open-ended questions until
you have all of your questions answered. It is difficult to determine whether
a given hiring situation has a good chance of working out if you do not know
what the candidate is looking for in a new position.
7. Is the candidate interviewing elsewhere? This is
big; I don't like surprises and neither do hiring managers. I always ask the
candidate what else they have for activity. If the candidate has
three other companies they are considering and two offers are arriving in
the mail
tomorrow, this is absolute need-to-know information. If the hiring manager
wants to make an offer, it's time to advise them as to what the competition
looks like and move this deal onto the express lane, fast.
8. What it will take to close the deal. This is a first cousin of #6 above but it is more specific and flavored with
a "closing the deal" mentality. #6 relates to what the candidate
wants in a new position, but this one quantifies that want. For example, if
the candidate wants more money, this is where you will assess how much it will
take to close the deal. As another example, while #6 will let you know that
the candidate wants to work on different types of projects, this one will tell
you exactly what types of projects those are.
9. Can the candidate do the job? Even though, as the recruiter, you might not be able to determine if this
is the perfect candidate, you should exit the interview with an opinion
as to
whether or not the candidate can perform the functions of the position.
Furthermore, that opinion must be based upon information that was unveiled
during the
interviewing process and not just a gut feeling. It has to be based upon
what the candidate
has successfully accomplished and how that aligns with the needs of the
current position. If you can't offer a solid opinion on this one, you
need to dig
deeper until you have a solid case for why the candidate can or cannot
do the job.
10. Will the candidate fit into the culture? Predicting the future is tricky business, but someone has to take a shot
at evaluating a candidate's chance for success. Not everyone that is
capable of
doing the job will have a successful run at the company, because culture
does play a role in candidate success. For example, the culture of
a buttoned-down insurance company in Boston is very different than the
garage culture of
a
software startup in the valley. If you have a reason to believe that
the person is the wrong DNA for an organization, it is imperative that
you
raise the issue.
There are few things hiring managers value more than solid candidate
feedback based upon a well-executed interview. Convey this information
to the hiring
manager and take one more step towards becoming a world-class recruiter.
- Howard Adamsky
Howard Adamsky (howard@hrinnovators.com) has been recruiting since 1985 and
is still alive to talk about it. A consultant, writer, public speaker, and
educator, he works with organizations to support their efforts to build great
companies and coaches others on how to do the same. He has over 20 years' experience
in identifying, developing, and implementing effective solutions for organizations
struggling to recruit and retain top talent. An internationally published author,
he is a regular contributor to ERE Media, a member of the Human Capital Institute's
Small and Mid-Sized business panel, a Certified Internet Recruiter, and rides
one of the largest production motorcycles ever built. His book, Hiring and
Retaining Top IT Professionals/The Guide for Savvy Hiring Managers and Job
Hunters Alike (Osborne McGraw-Hill) is in local bookstores and available online.
He is also working on his second book, The 25 New Rules for Today’s Recruiting
Professional.
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